Posted on 08/25/2023 5:45:26 PM PDT by DoodleBob
Country-folk singer Oliver Anthony is denouncing politicians, namely conservatives, and those trying to make his hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond” the new right-wing anthem.
In a 10-minute video shared on YouTube on Friday, the musician said, “The one thing that has bothered me is seeing people wrap politics up in this. I’m disappointed to see [it]. Like, it’s aggravating seeing people on conservative news try to identify with me, like I’m one of them.”
Anthony’s comments come after the GOP’s first debate of the primary season in Milwaukee on Wednesday. A clip of the song was played at the beginning of the debate and moderator Martha MacCallum also referenced the song in the first questions, asking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, “Why is this song striking such a nerve in this country right now?” In his response, DeSantis took aim at President Joe Biden, Congress and government spending while addressing the song.
In the video, the singer said, “It was funny seeing my song at that presidential debate. Because I wrote that song about those people, you know, so for them to have to sit there and listen to that, that cracks me up. It was funny kind of seeing the response to it.”
He continued, “That song has nothing to do with Joe Biden. You know, it’s a lot bigger than Joe Biden. That song’s written about the people on that stage and a lot more too, not just them, but definitely them.”
Earlier this week, Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” topped the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first song by an artist with no previous chart history to open at No. 1. Following the song’s release earlier in August, many Republicans have praised the track for its lyrics critiquing big government. But some liberals have also criticized the song, saying some lyrics promote negative stereotypes of welfare recipients.
The artist said it has been difficult trying to “get a message out about your political ideology or your belief about the world in three minutes and some change. But I do hate to see that song being weaponized, like I see. I see the right trying to characterize me as one of their own. And I see the left trying to discredit me, I guess in retaliation. That shi*’s gotta stop.”
Later in the video, Anthony said he also needed to “address the left” because “they’re sending a message out that … ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ is an attack against the poor. If you listen to my other music, it’s obvious that all of my songs that reference class defend the poor.”
He added, “I do understand there may be some people who misunderstood my words in ‘Rich Men North of Richmond.’ But I’ve got to be clear that my message, like with any of my songs, it references the inefficiencies of the government because of the politicians within it that are engulfed in bribes and extortion.”
Though he’s excited about the song’s global success, the singer added that the people he’s seen responding to the song are “not conservative people” or “even necessarily Americans.”
“I don’t know that I’ve seen anything get such a positive response from such a diverse group of people, and I think that terrifies the people that I sing about in that song,” he said. “They’ve done everything they can in the last two weeks to make me look like a fool, to spin my words, to try to stick me in a political bucket. And they can keep trying, but I’m just gonna keep on writing.”
And while he doesn’t know what’s next for his music career, Anthony noted that he’s “going to stay true to my word. I’m going to write, produce and distribute authentic music that represents people and not politics.”
I think this guy has a screw loose. A plain ordinary untalented person who is dining off a short lucky break of fame. Greta Thunberg.
His crap is political. It’s nothing BUT political. And now he says it isn’t? I guess he doesn’t want to wind up having HIS mug shot plastered everywhere.
Interestingly … when I listen to that song, the first politicians who come to mind are Republicans — Mitt Romney and the Bush/Cheney cabal, in particular.
...but it has everything to do with the uniparty.
“That song has nothing to do with Joe Biden…That song’s written about the people [Republican candidates] on that stage and a lot more too, not just them, but definitely them.”
And from the article: “Though he’s excited about the song’s global success, the singer added that the people he’s seen responding to the song are ‘not conservative people’…”
This is the guy who did the virtual signaling “diversity is our strength” woke catchphrase in his first TV interview too. Now he’s pretending that a song about government overreach, high taxes, exploitation of minors, abuse of the welfare system, etc. isn’t political and the people responding to it aren’t conservatives. He also said the left attacking him (as a right-winger, white supremacist, fat shaming, poor hating bigot, etc.) just did so “in relatiation” to conservatives identifying with his song, which he’s seems to be baffled by, even though the themes of the song were highly political and in sync with the conservative populist movement, whether he likes that or not.
STFU, DOPE!! It’s CONSERVATIVES BUYING YOUR SONG!!
Conservative crook is an oxymoron. Ryan is a crook, but he is faux conservative.
bump
At the of the day it was a heartfelt song with a message that hits home and should hit home with every freeper. It’s an excellent song and is the part of playlist. If ya don’t like because it doesn’t pass some bizarre purity test for some then screw ya. I like it
Read carefully... he went after both parties, or the uniparty, for their polices that are against the best interests of Americans.
Read carefully... he went after both parties, or the uniparty, for their polices that are against the best interests of Americans.
I did read carefully. He definitely seemed more bothered by being celebrated by “conservatives” than being called a fascist by leftists—maybe because he excused the leftists attacking him as only doing it in “retaliation” for conservatives falsely claiming his song.
If you want to read carefully, you will notice he said the song had “nothing” to do with Joe Biden, but “definitely” applied to the Republican candidates, some of whom aren’t even Washington politicians like Biden.
And I didn’t realize “conservatives” is a “party,” much less the “uniparty.” I think a lot of people on our side are seeing what they want to see with this guy.
It’s understandable that he doesn’t like being taken up by politicians and talking heads and turned into a symbol, but if he’s not disgusted by Biden, there is something wrong with him.
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